The monster in the walls
by alltheSinnersandalltheSaints
Summary: There's something lurking in the shadows of avengers tower. An unknown creature that only peter can sense. It's dangers are unknown to the avengers, as well as the history Peter shares with it. Since the multiverse is canon in all forms of marvel, as well as the Netflix original Stranger Things; I decided to combine the two.
1. Chapter 1

He ran.

Branches and thorns scratched his face and clawed at his bare arms as if trying to pull him back. The rocky ground cut into his feet nearly making him fall, but still he kept moving. A great expanse of darkness stretched - seemingly forever - in every direction. There was no wind and no sun. Besides his panting, there was no sound, no life. It was eerily still. So cold.

This place resembled his home to some extent. Skyscrapers rose up to meet the sky, cars were left parked along the streets; even the street names were the same. Astoria boulevard, Jackson Avenue and Oak Avenue were a few he passed. Avengers tower - his home - stood tall above everything else.

But in this world, everything was dark. The streets were cracked and the buildings were crumbling, the cars looked as if they'd been abandoned years ago. They were all rusted metal and flat tires. This world was grey; bleached of all color and void of all life.

He took a sharp turn left, then a right, then a left and another left. There was no destination, nowhere to go. No place to hide. If he hid it would only be a matter of time before he'd be found. His wings were tucked up against his weakening body - he barely had enough energy to keep moving, let alone fly.

Snuffling and harsh breathing, accompanied by heavy footfalls grew closer. His spider sense dictated which direction to take in order to avoid his pursuer. But that was only delaying the inevitable.

Too bad something had already found him. Now he just couldn't get caught.


	2. Chapter 2

Peter jolted upright with a scream, his thin body trembling.

"Fri-Friday?" He squeaked.

"How may I help you Peter." The 's smooth feminine voice answered. "Shall I turn on the lights?"

Peter nodded frantically, choking out a "yes please" as he pulled the duvet tighter around his boney shoulders.

The room gradually grew brighter - due to Peters enhanced senses Friday kept the brightness level at fifty percent. Even with the room completely visible, and Friday's calming presence, the young arachnid still felt tense. His spider sense tingling at the base of his neck, warning him of some unforeseen danger.

Another tremor wracked his body and he shivered despite the warm blankets surrounding him. He felt sick. On shaky legs he carried himself to the bathroom, wings tucked tightly against his body. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the harsh lighting; his head spun and his vision blurred. It took all his effort not to pass out or lose his dinner. The granite countertop cracked under his grip.

A drop of blood fell into the sink. Peter looked at himself in the mirror. His face pale and gaunt - but that was normal. What wasn't normal was the blood dripping from his left nostril. Hastily, he wiped his nose on his sleeve, leaving a smear of red on the soft grey fabric.

"It was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare. It's not here. It was only a nightmare." He repeated that over and over like a mantra. "I'm safe. It's dead."

When his dad and the team rescued him they destroyed the Hydra base. Blew it to smithereens until only ash and ruble remained. Nothing could've survived that. Unless it had escaped back into its own dimension.

They'd fought; he remembered, not long before the avengers came. But he was very weak at the time and only managed to get a few hits in. The creature only had one eye because of him. The claw marks on his chest and stomach ached at the memory.

A fresh wave of terror washed over him as unwanted memories pushed to the forefront of his mind. Being cut open and prodded by faceless doctors, being starved and beaten by cruel Hydra agents. Being forced to interact with that thing.

Peter pushed himself away from the mirror and ran out of his room. His spider sense going quiet the farther away he got. His body moved on autopilot and he ended up in his dad's room.

Quietly, he moved closer to the king sized bed and crawled in between his biological and adoptive father. He snuggled in between the two heroes, his naturally thin body fitting perfectly.

Even in his sleep, Tony's one wing unfolded to cover Peter. The weight was incredibly comforting to the thirteen year old. Steve murmured something in his sleep and rolled over so he was closer to his husband and son. Their warmth and steady breathing helped lull peter back to sleep.

"Come on kiddo, eat up." Tony pushed the plate closer to his son. "You're metabolism is seven times faster than the average humans. You can't afford to skip any meals." He smiled at his son's adorable sleep mussed hair. The curls sprawled out like a halo. "And I'm not just saying that because I'm your father. Biologically… meaning you have to listen to me."

"M'sorry." Peter mumbled, lifting lifting his head off the counter. The plate in front of him was filled with scrambled eggs with cheese, which looked and smelled heavenly.

Any other time, he would've had the entire plate clean by now - along with just about everything else in the kitchen. He was perpetually hungry.

But not this morning; or the two days prior.

"Morning you two." Steve came out of the elevator covered in sweat from his early morning jog. He greeted his husband with a kiss, pulling the smaller man against him in a one armed hug. "Morning Peter." He ruffled the boy's curls, his smile grew when peter leaned into the affectionate touch.

"Hi pops." He made a face. "Now go shower. You smell really bad."

Steve laughed. "Okay. Sorry 'bout the smell."

"You should be sorry." Tony sipped at his coffee. "My eyes are even watering." He wiped his eyes on a napkin, over exaggerating his actions in hopes of making his son laugh.

"Okay, okay. I get it Mr. drama queen."

"That is where you're wrong dear husband of mine. I am the drama king."

"Of course," the blond bowed, smirking. "I'm gonna go shower. Don't set the kitchen on fire again."

Tony huffed, "That was one time." He turned back to his son - who still hadn't touched his plate. He attempted casual conversation. "How're your online classes going? I know you're a genius, but MIT can be tough. I'm here to help if you need me."

He did his best to conceal how proud he was. Peter was only thirteen, yet he'd already been accepted into one of the most prestigious schools in the world. The school wanted him so badly that they accommodated Tony's request for all online classes. Having wings and spider powers would be difficult to hide. And the media didn't need to know that Tony Stark had a son.

"I know dad. But I think I'm okay for now. Maybe next semester when we do more with biochemistry."

"Whatever you need kiddo. Now I was thinking we- Underoos? Peter?"

His spider sense flared, causing him to yelp and grab the back of his neck. The hair on his arms and even his feathers stood on end. Something was wrong and he could feel it.

"What do you sense?" Tony jumped from his seat and immediately wrapped his arms around Peter. His wings also extending to wrap around the boy. "Talk to me bud… what's wrong?"

"There's some-something watching us." He managed to stuttered.

The mechanic's hazel eyes scanned the large room. Looking for anything that might be out of place. But he didn't see anything. "Friday, scan the tower."

Not even thirty seconds later Friday spoke. "Everything in the tower is working properly. No machines are malfunctioning and there are no intruders. All of your employees are at their proper stations and Mr. Hogan is monitoring the lobby. Nothing is out of place Boss."

"See." He assured. Gently, he brushed his fingers through Peter's hair knowing just how much he loved it. "There's nothing here. The team and I would never let anything happen to you."

"But Hydra-"

"They're not here." He ground out through clenched teeth. His grip on peter tightening. "We killed them… I made sure of it. They can't get to you anymore."

Just the name alone sent white hot rage surging through his system. They were the people who had stolen and nearly killed his baby. Peter wasn't even five at the time. And why? Because they wanted revenge and a new weapon - a weapon that was much more powerful than Captain America and the winter soldier.

"It-it's not them… not exactly." The arachnid hugged Tony tighter, his fingers digging into the fabric of his dad's AC/DC shirt. He pressed his head into the crook of Tony's neck. "Something they… something they set f-free. It-it followed me here."

He pulled away when Peter jumped back suddenly, his gaze firmly locked on the wall behind them. There was nothing there as far as Tony was concerned; just light grey walls and a few pictures frames.

Peter stood stock still, his brown eyes traveled along the wall, and stopped at the hallway leading back to the bedrooms. As if in a trance, unblinking, Peter moved forward.

The genius, billionaire and philanthropist was at a loss. He'd never seen peter act like this. Even after he'd been rescued and that was a year ago. The kid was strong willed, stubborn and had very good self control. Right now though… he resembled a lifeless robot. Memories of Loki using mind control to manipulate Selvig and Clint came to mind.

"Peter?" He reached out and grabbed the teen's boney elbow just as Steve's and his bedroom door swung open.

Steve stepped out, a towel across his shoulder and wet hair. He looked from his husband to his son concernedly. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Peter rubbed at his eyes - like someone would after sleeping deeply. "Oh hi pops. You done with your shower already?"

Steve looked to Tony, confusion written clearly across his face. Tony shook out his wings and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He ran a flat palm down the back of Peter's wings, gently smoothing the feathers back into place. "Pete's just tired. Right bud?" Peter nodded and leaned into his dad's side in response. "Why don't you go lay down in the living room, pops and I will be right there."

Once Peter was laying down Tony allowed his anxiety to show. He grabbed his husband's hand and squeezed. "I don't know what… he looked like he was in a trance. His spider sense went crazy for a few minutes then nothing."

"Hm. That's really odd." Steve peered around the corner and was relieved to see Peter sleeping soundly. "We'll have to keep an eye on him."

"Do you think it's his insomnia? Or the nightmares?"

"I'm not sure." The super soldier squared his shoulders, determination in his voice. "But we need to figure it out."


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey bud, Peter?" A metal arm carefully grasped the boys shoulder and shook him awake.

"Wha'sup?" Peter lifted his head off the counter, forcing his heavy eyelids open. "Sorry uncle Bucky," he rubbed at his tired eyes, "didn't mean to fall 'sleep."

"I know kid." He ruffled the teen's hair before taking a seat next to him, chuckling lightly. "Are ya up all night partyin' or something?"

"No, just really tired this past week."

"Nightmares?"

"I- yeah sorta… more like m-memories. Bad ones."

Bucky's eyebrows furrowed in concern as his grip on his nephew's shoulder tightened. He knew exactly what Peter meant - having been a Hydra prisoner himself. Every memory with them was a bad memory.

"Wanna talk 'bout it?" He asked, genuinely concerned for his youngest teammate and nephew.

"I…" Peter did not want to talk about it. Not at all. But if his suspicions were correct then it wasn't just him that was in danger. His family and anyone within the tower could be at risk. "You know how Dr. Strange taught us about the multiverse and different dimensions?"

"Yeah, it was during the debriefing a couple months ago. After that crazy octopus monster fell into Time Square from some other reality."

"So there was something… something that Hydra let loose. But it wasn't from our dimension." Peter wrung his hands anxiously before tucking them up into the sleeves of his MIT hoodie. "They used some machine to tear a hole in our reality that allowed them to access another dimension."

"What?" Bucky gasped. "How did they manage to build a machine that could tear a hole in reality? That seems way above their pay grade."

Peter scratched the back of his neck as his nerves went haywire. "I'm… I figured it out. I got th-the machine to-to work." Shame bubbled up inside him and he was quick to explain his actions because he didn't want Bucky to hate him or think he worked for Hydra. "They made me. The scientists gave me basic blueprints and I took it from there. I swear I had no idea what they were doing. Honestly, I did-didn't know I-."

"Hey, calm down. It's okay. Just take a deep breath." The soldier reassured. "I know you didn't help them willingly." He put both hands on Peter's shoulders when his breathing picked up. "Just breathe kid."

After a good ten minutes of reassuring on Bucky's part and dozens of failed attempts to imitate the soldiers deep, rhythmic breathing, did Peter finally calm down. He'd barely gotten his breathing back before stuttering out an apology that Bucky immediately dismissed.

"Don't sweat it pipsqueak. I understand." He ruffled the teen's hair again. "Now explain to me more about this monster."

Tony paced back and forth, folding and unfolding his wings as he went. His husband sat quietly in the corner of their bedroom, lips pulled into a frown, eyebrows pinched together. The only thing going through their minds was their baby boy, Peter.

It'd been over a week since the last zoning out episode - as Scott had dubbed it. Peter's nightmares had been getting worse; so bad in fact, that the poor kid had only gotten three hours of sleep over the past four days. The only thing stopping Bruce from sedating him, was that Peter's metabolism burned through drugs in a matter of minutes, leaving any sedative or medication useless.

"What the Hell can we do?" Tony stopped abruptly and turned to the tall blond, frustration and worry seeping into his voice. "I thought the extra therapy sessions would help! The extra training made him more tired but he still couldn't sleep. The relaxing yoga bullshit Friday showed me did nothing! Not even the stupid nature walk you insisted on helped!" He tugged at his hair so hard it started to come out. The dark brown strands falling to the floor.

"Hey, hey," Steve took his husband's hands in his own, quickly stopping the self-destructive behavior. "Please don't hurt yourself honey." He pulled the smaller man against his chest and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "We'll figure this out. I promise you."

"How? How are we going to fix this when we don't know what's wrong to begin with?" Tony gripped his husband's shirt between his fists. "He's hurting. Our baby!"

"I know honey, I know." Steve tried to keep his composure but his voice wavered, revealing how terrified he truly was. "But Peter is strong. So smart and brave. He gets that from you."

Tony chuckled humorlessly. "He's also got insomnia and a major hero complex. Neither one are ideal. Both of which he got from me."

"There's pros and cons to most everything."

"I suppose." Tony sighed. "But you know what…" he trailed off, a look of deep concentration on his face before his features positively lit up, "I've got insomnia!"

"I know Tony, I sleep with you." Steve deadpanned.

"No- I know that. But you were just saying that there's good and bad to everything right?"

"To most things." Steve nodded. "But I don't see how having insomnia is good."

"No, no I'm not saying that. At least not completely" Tony led pulled his husband into the elevator as he rambled. "But it may be helpful."

The elevator doors opened up onto another private floor which encased the billionaire's private labs. Tony pulled Steve into the nearest one and began digging through drawers and boxes that were strewn about haphazardly.

He began mumbling to himself while he tossed wires and tools aside. "I know it's in here… not those."

Steve just stood back, trusting his husband with whatever he was doing but also knowing better than to get in the way.

"Ha!" Tony exclaimed, holding a small dome-like object in his palm.

"What's that?"

"Something that's going to help Peter."

"Really! Honey, that's great! But… what is it?"

"It's a camera," Tony grinned, "one that not only works as a microphone, records visuals and sound, but also picks up heat signatures. I've got thousands of these as extra security throughout Stark industries. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner."

"You think this will pick up what we're missing?"

"Definitely." The confidence in his voice reassured Steve. The billionaire was the best when it came to technology and engineering. "While Friday is incredibly intelligent, has millions of resources embedded in her complex database and is literally the most secure system ever," he rolled his eyes at the blond's pointed look, "besides the Wakandan stuff that's equally good; she isn't designed to track heat signatures."

"Might I remind you, Boss, that you were the one that designed me."

Tony scuffed while Steve chuckled. "Anyway," the billionaire glared half-heartedly up at the ceiling, "once I get a bunch of these installed, I can connect them to my computer and-"

"Then we can keep an eye on Peter. See if anything's out of the ordinary." Steve surmised, pleased with his husband's impeccable handiwork and sharp mind. "You're a genius doll."

"Please, tell me something I don't already know." Tony used his snark to avert Steve's attention from the pink lighting up his cheeks.

Steve smirked and pecked the smaller man's cheek.

"Steve, Tony." The winter soldier practically ran into the couple in his haste. Knocking into one of the kitchen cabinets instead. His breath was coming out in short pants as he tried to calm down. The information Peter shared with him was both startling and disturbing, bringing up flashbacks of dark and twisted memories. After leaving Peter in Clint's - somewhat - capable hands he went in search of his other teammates.

"Woah Buck, take a minute and relax okay." Steve's large hands settled on Bucky's shoulders. "Just breathe."

"I-" he took a deep breath, "I need to… I need to talk to you both." He looked from Steve to Tony then back to Steve. "It's im-important."

"You don't gotta work yourself up, looks like you just ran a marathon." Tony nodded up towards the ceiling. "Just ask Friday and she'll get us." He smirked when Bucky's face pinched into a glare having realized his mistake of not accessing the AI before sprinting around the tower.

"I forgot." He huffed, standing up straighter. "Either way, you're here now aren't ya?"

Tony sat back down and sipped from his coffee "If you say so ice sickle number two, shoot."

"It's about Peter. He-"

"Is he alright?" Tony cut in at the same time Steve yelled, "What happened?"

"Nothin'." Bucky pushed both men back into their seats before sitting down himself. "Little punk is with Katniss. But I talked to 'em earlier. 'Bout the nightmares and… hydra." The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees with that one word. "I don't remember much from when I was… there. Just snippets of information. Shuri said things might trigger my memories, a person or a word. Somethin' like that anyways. But when I talked to Peter… I remembered something. Something bad."

Steve's eyes were filled with nothing but understanding. "I know this is difficult. Just take your time Buck." Tony nodded wordlessly, ready to offer what support he could give.

Taking a deep breath he continued. "Once, before I was sent on a mission I heard some of the higher ups, my handlers, talking about opening a gate. I didn't know why or to where. But when I returned to the base everyone seemed to be in a frenzy. It seemed like all of their scientists were in one place." He chuckled humorlessly, "one scientist was bad enough let alone two dozen."

"Did you ever see Peter?"

Buck tried to give the billionaire a reassuring smile though it probably looked more like a grimace. "I never saw him. But I knew of him, his code name was… little monster."

"Those fu-"

"I know honey." Steve quickly took his husband's hand, massaging it gently. "I know."

Bucky waited to continue until Tony gave the go-ahead. "I was stationed by the main lab but nothin' happened and within a few days everythin' was back to normal. Pretty sure I was transferred after that." He scrubbed at his eyes and leaned forward on his elbows. "I asked Peter how he was feeling," a fond smile grew on his lips when he thought of his nephew, "I love the runt and I didn't want him falling asleep in his cereal so I tried to get him talking. He told me about his nightmares… and what's causing them."

"He did? That's great. We've been trying to talk to him but-"

"Nothing's been working." Tony finished his husband's sentence. "He just clamps up."

"Peter remembers a lot more than me. He doesn't want to bother you two."

"But we're his dads!"

"The therapist said Peter might withhold things from us because he wants to protect us." Once again Tony was grateful for Steve's level head. "Keep going Buck."

"The gate was actually a portal; a portal to another dimension that they forced Peter to build. He didn't know what hydra was going to use it for so he built in a self destruct mechanism that would kill the machine after its first use. Effectively shutting the portal. Turns out the machine didn't just shut down, it exploded."

"That's my boy!" Tony pumped his fists proudly. Both super soldiers grinned, equally proud.

"He stopped hydras attempts to access other dimensions but something came out of the portal before it closed. Lots of them actually."

"Lots of what?"

"I'm not really sure."

Napoleon Dynamite played on the fifty inch flat screen TV mounted on the living room wall. The team sat spread out around the room; soda and snacks in hand. Bucky and Sam were laying on the floor directly in front of the TV while Bruce, Steve and Tony occupied the beige wrap around couch.

Although the movie was one of their favorites, no one was paying much attention to it. Everyone's focus was on the youngest teammate who was half asleep on the ottoman.

Steve's fingers were lightly holding onto his husband's sweatpants, watching his son's chest rise and fall. He was beyond relieved to see Peter resting.

He was laying on his side, wrapped up in fleece pajamas and an old quilt that once belonged to his grandmother, Maria. His back was to the couch giving Tony access to his wings. Only Tony, Steve and occasionally Natasha could touch them.

Grooming was necessary maintenance when it came to their wings; keeping the feathers clean and angled correctly to aid in flight and avoid discomfort. But it was also a way to bond. Growing up, Tony never had anyone to help him groom. Mutants were rare to begin with and Howard always demonstrated his dislike for Tony's 'condition' even going so far as to avoid going out with him in public. Jarvis and occasionally his mother were the only ones willing to help. Now, he had Peter. The only other person that experienced what he did and understood.

Gingerly, he ran his fingers over his son's feathers, combing out little bits of debris while carefully angling any crooked feathers back into place. Sighing contently, Peter unfurled his wings. Basking in the affection and safety of his dad.

Unlike his own, Peter's feathers were more delicate, slightly brittle and a dull brown color. His wings were the correct size - his wingspan measured seventeen feet across and he could fly easily - but his feathers were weak due to being starved his entire life and kept from the sunlight. Only now were they starting to hold pigment and strengthen; no longer painful to the touch. As always, Tony was gentle. Humming quietly as he cleaned the feathers.

Fifteen minutes later when Tony was done grooming, Peter had completely dropped off to sleep. Friday instinctively turned the TV volume down. It was getting late but no one made a move to leave. The men's goal of getting Peter to sleep was complete but no one wanted to leave him alone. Stark tower - along with the other avengers strongholds - was one of the safest places in the world.

But what if the enemy was already inside?


	4. Chapter 4

It could've gone unspoken - even though Steve called the team together for what ended up being a five hour meeting - that everyone needed to keep a close eye on Peter. Despite what Sam and the teen's therapist said about residual effects of trauma and flashbacks caused by PTSD, the team could clearly tell something was wrong.

Friday's security, as well as the modified infrared cameras were picking up odd disturbances throughout the tower on a near daily basis. S.I workers were also beginning to notice irregularities throughout their day to day activities. Prompting Tony and Steve to send the employees home before nightfall, when the unknown creature seemed to be more active.

Even Pepper noticed when she stopped by for a brief visit to give Tony some papers to sign and discuss vacation days for her and her husband Happy.

"Morning Tony." Came the chipper voice of Pepper Potts. "I brought some papers for you to sign," she called as she set two large files on the hall table beside the elevator, "I need these by tomorrow. And, in case you forgot, Happy and I are taking off for our anniversary this coming summer."

As one of the only civilians with access to the avengers private common rooms, she often made brief appearances in regards to Stark Industries - since Tony wasn't very fond of paperwork or business meetings - or to check in with the team and her nephew. No one else besides Happy had the clearance to enter any avenger floor.

"Tony?" Pepper walked further and entered into the large living room. Upon realizing it was empty she moved onto the kitchen. There, she found the billionaire perched at the kitchen island with a large mug filled, presumably, with coffee. She called his name again. "Tony."

"Wha-" The billionaire jolted, causing the coffee mug to fall to the floor. "Oh, hey Pep." After regaining his composure he ran his hand down his face tiredly, dark circles clearly evident in the early morning sun.

"Are you okay? It looks like you haven't slept in days." Her voice held nothing but concern.

"I haven't."

"But- I don't understand. You've been doing so well; less coffee, sleeping at least seven hours an-"

"Well obviously not!" His outburst came out louder than he'd planned, causing Pepper to jump. He immediately felt guilty, his wings drooping. "Shit. I'm sorry. That… I didn't mean to yell. It's just… this past month has been… weird."

Pepper took a seat across from Tony. "Okay, so what exactly is going on? The only other times you've been this shaken is if-"

"Peter is involved, yeah." Tony nodded. Anyone who knew the billionaire, knew that nothing was more precious to him than his son.

"So what's going on?" She immediately began making a mental list of what meetings and trips she needed to reschedule in order to stay in New York. She would do anything for Peter. "Is there anything I can do? I'm sure I-"

"No, it's okay." Tony managed a small smile, his friend's determination lightening his mood slightly. Peter truly was the center of their makeshift family. "I know you care and you want to help, but so far we've got things under control." She didn't seem entirely convinced but nodded for him to continue. "Almost a month ago Peter started getting nightmares, more than usual. He's… not sleeping much… or eating enough and he's losing weight. His spider sense is constantly going off so he can't relax. Something is bothering him." He took a deep breath. "And we know… we know it's hydra."

"What!" Her eyebrows shot up. "But you guys wiped out the remaining followers when you rescued Peter. There's nothing left of Hydra."

"It's a monster that hydra set free. Something from another dimension." He tapped his watch two times and a hologram popped up, showing live video footage of the penthouse and multiple other avenger floors. "I set up infrared cameras to hopefully catch something we were missing. So far, I haven't actually seen it; not fully anyway. Just brief glimpses of a blurry figure that manages to somehow avoid the camera. Seemingly melting into the walls." Tony pushed another button and the images on the hologram changed. "This was two nights ago. Keep an eye on the right side of the screen."

The image showed the penthouse living room. The fading light of the sunset cast shadows upon the walls and illuminated the small form passed out on loveseat. Nothing abnormal caught the eye of the CEO. Until the wall to the right of the loveseat began to move. Or warp, Pepper didn't know how to describe it. The wall was moving as if someone or something was pushing on it from the inside. Like something was trying to escape. Peter's image jolted upright just as two large, non-human hand prints became visible against the muted grey paint. But as soon as Steve came charging into the room, the hands pulled back, disappearing without the slightest chip in the paint.

Pepper rubbed the goosebumps on her arms. "Holy shit."

"I know." With a flick of his wrist the hologram closed. "Someone is with Peter at all times. We take turns sleeping, eating and what not, try to go about our normal business. But that thing seems to follow Peter everywhere he goes."

"It looked like it was reaching for him." Her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. "It's after him."

"Yeah, it is. But we're going to catch it and-"

"Boss." Friday interrupted. "There's something on floor three. Multiple workers have sighted something rather unusual."

Tony was up in an instant. Pepper right beside him as they entered the elevator and pushed the down button. "Your cameras catch anything?"

"My cameras seem to have captured something. What appears to be a large unknown entity has run past one of the conference rooms, it's figure noticed through the glass wall."

"Well then," he flexed his fingers, the nanotech gauntlet charging up, "let's go check it out."

"Uncle Bruce?" Peter tilted his head back to look up at his uncle he was leaning against. They were currently on the common room floor, talking about science and watching TV.

"Friday, pause the movie." The movie - one of Peter's favorites, the Hobbit - paused and Bruce turned to face his nephew. He couldn't help but smile fondly at the sight of Peter's adorable sleep missed hair, reaching out to tussle it gently. "What can I do for ya Pete?"

The teen leaned into the affectionate touch, causing the scientist to chuckle. "Do you know when uncle Rhodey and aunt Tasha are coming home?" He pulled the blanket he had draped over his legs up higher. Being part spider he lacked the ability to thermoregulate, being very skinny didn't help either.

Bruce noticed the slight tremors racking the teen's thin frame and pulled him closer. Tucking Peter underneath his arm and holding him close. "Their mission went well, so they should be home by Thursday."

"I'm glad everything went well. But I wish they'd get home sooner."

"Me too." Bruce nodded. "It's tough when certain missions run longer than expected."

"It's just… I don't like when we can't all go. I like to help out with missions. And they usually go a lot faster when all, or at least most of us go." He sighed. "But I know that some missions don't require everyone."

"You really are such a big help. As Spider-Man and as Peter Stark-Rogers." He tapped Peter's nose. "Now, I would love it if you ate something." At Peter's uneasy look he continued. "Come on Pete. You can't afford to skip any meals. But you've barely been eating what a normal person would eat."

"Okay. I'll try." Peter was generally very easy going and he absolutely hated to worry or bother his family. But his hunger fled when he was angry, sad or if his anxiety spiked.  
Bruce draped his arm across his nephew's shoulders as they walked to the kitchen. "That's all I can ask for."

Tony and Pepper split up once they reached the third floor. Pepper - under the billionaire's instruction - was to evacuate the entire tower; keeping all scientists, secretaries, managers, security, maintenance workers and any other employees home until further notice. Herself and Happy included.

After a quick interrogation of the business managers - whose meeting was interrupted by a literal alien - Tony sent them home. Once they were gone he walked up and down the hallway; scanning his surroundings. The video footage showed something running. Something with long arms and legs.

"Okay." Tony ground out. "I'm getting really pissed off." His voice steadily grew louder until he was yelling. "I don't care what you are, where you came from or what you're doing here. But you better stop messing with my kid!"

An animalistic snarl echoed down the hall. Followed by heavy breathing and light, deliberate footsteps.

Tony spun around on his heels, wings flared, gauntlet up and ready to fire. "Alright bitch, let's go." He was going to kill this thing.


	5. Chapter 5

Peter's senses were dialed up to eleven, meaning he could easily hear everything within the tower. But his focus was locked onto one heartbeat. The heartbeat that so often grounded him during anxiety attacks and helped lull him to sleep after a nightmare. He jolted when he heard an all to familiar growl. And it was getting closer to his dad.

"Peter?" Bruce jumped back when Peter did, eyes wide with concern. "What's wro-"

"Stay here." Peter yelled as he sprinted towards the wall lined with floor to ceiling windows. "Friday, window!" The A.I responded by sliding one of the glass panes up into the ceiling, leaving a large enough hole for Peter's nimble body to jump through.

"No! Peter don't!" Bruce pleaded, reaching out towards his nephew. But his pleas were ignored.

With the grace of a weathered gymnast, Peter jumped out the window and completed two perfect front flips before extending his wings. Catching a down draft, he dived. Tucking his wings close to his body he let himself fall at a fast pace. Only spreading his wings and pulling upwards once he was outside what he knew to be the third floor. He glided around the side of the building until he found the right spot, his dad's heartbeat thumping loudly in his ears. He pumped his wings and hovered about twenty feet from the tower.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Come on Peter." Bracing himself for impact, he flew straight into the window. "Come on Spider-Man!"

Grenade proof glass was no match for Spider-Man and he went crashing through, landing in a silent crouch on the smooth tile floor.

Tony's fearful expression greeted him. "Oh no! Bud… you shouldn't be here." The billionaire fired another shot at the alien, knocking it over. But besides it's charred skin, it seemed unaffected by the blasts and got right back up again. "I called a suit. It'll be here any minute. Just gotta keep this creep busy."

Peter ran up the wall to avoid the knocked over equipment and debris caused by the scuffle and dropped down beside his dad. "I'll web it up," he tapped his wrist bracelets together to activate his web shooters, "while you shoot it's eyes."

"No!" Tony didn't mean to yell, but his emotions were getting the best of him. Seeing Peter, who was clearly weak and exhausted, gearing up to fight this monster made his paternal instincts go haywire. "The suit will-"

"We need to take this thing down now before it escapes!" Peter yelled right back. "This thing will kill anyone in its path. It's our job to make sure that doesn't happen."

He wanted to argue, to grab his kid and fly back out that broken window, but he knew Peter was right. "Fine. Just stay high and out of reach."

With a determined, "will do" Peter jumped into action.

Using his adhesive abilities, he ran along the ceiling before flipping down in front of the creature, shooting webs at its legs and feet. He jumped, flipped and crawled around the alien, all while securing its body with layers of webbing.

Once the alien was pinned against the wall he yelled, "shoot now!"

Tony didn't need any more prompting and blasted two shots off. Each blast hitting an eye which appeared to be on the creatures shoulders. Green blood began gushing from the wounds. It released a loud cry of defeat before going limp.

Three suits powered by Friday arrived seconds later. Flying in through the previously broken window to surround the dead body and father son duo.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Tony asked when his son dropped down beside him, examining the teen for any injuries.

"Dad, 'm fine." Peter whined, playfully pushing his dad's hands away. "Are you okay?"

"So long as you are." He tugged Peter against his side. "You know, you're so tiny that I sometimes forget how much of a deadly ninja you are." Tony mumbled into Peter's curls. No matter how protective he was of his son, he couldn't deny how strong and capable he was. And he could never deny how proud he was. "You really kicked ass."

Peter chuckled. "Thanks. You too."

The elevator nearby opened with a quiet ding and multiple armed avengers rushed out; weapons drawn and a battle cry on their lips.

Steve was the first one to turn the corner and immediately pulled ran over to his husband and son, using his shield to cover them. "Are you two okay?" He asked frantically.

"We're fine babe. Jus-

"Look out you alien mother fucker!" Clint rushed around the corner with his bow drawn. "I'm gonna light you up!"

Steve waved his hand to get the archer's attention when he saw the dead creature suspended in webs. "It's dead. Stand down."

The engines hum of Sam's wingsuit drowned out Steve's command as he dove into the building much like Peter had earlier - if a little less gracefully. He was shortly followed by the other super soldier.

"I'm a Brooklyn bitch!" Bucky shouted as he crashed through the wall beside the other two men. He cocked his machine gun menacingly.

"Guys!" Steve roared loudly, gaining everyone's attention. "Tony and Peter are fine. Stand down."

The heroes obeyed and lowered their weapons, but their eyes never left the webbed up creature. It was no secret that the avengers would die for each other. Especially for Peter.

"What is that thing?" Clint looked at the body with disgust.

"Something from another dimension." Peter answered quietly, discreetly wiping the blood from his upper lip.

The archer groaned. "God damnit."

"I'm from the forties, I'm not good at dealing with the multiverse and aliens and crap." Bucky threw his hands up in exasperation. "Five times was enough."

"Dealing with science fiction is a part of our lives frosty, what're you gonna do?" Tony gripped his husband's hand. "Except there ain't nothing fictional about it. Where's Brucie?"

"I told him to head to his lab so he could monitor the cameras. He was panicking and that was all I could do to get him to calm down." Steve said.

"How 'bout you take Pete back upstairs." Sam nodded to the teen whose eyes were drooping; all of the adrenaline leaving him. "We'll take care of this thing."

Tony nodded, his one wing curled around his son's tiny body. "The suits will help you. Take it to lab four in the R&D labs. Got that Fri?"

"Yes boss."

He looked to Steve. "I'm gonna take Pete to the lounge area just down the hall. I want him near us."

Steve nodded. "I agree. Buck, will you stay with him?"

"Course I will." He nodded. "I'll see ya up there."

"What the hell is this thing?" Tony murmured to himself as he examined the mysterious creature that was splayed out on the metal work bench.

After only twenty-four hours Tony and Bruce had an entire notebook filled with scientific data, drawings and theories. But they were still unable to figure out exactly what the creature was or how it managed to travel through walls. The scientists grew more frustrated with every passing minute.

Neither Tony nor Steve had slept since the attack. Both terrified for their son whose health had taken a turn for the worst.

Not long after their skirmish with the alien, Peter collapsed. Bucky caught him before he could hit the floor. Sam made him some soup in an attempt to get Peter to eat - he drank half of the bowl to everyone's relief. He fell asleep right after, his body not having the energy to stay awake.

Steve patrolled the entire tower; twenty times, looking for anything that might be out of place. And when he wasn't searching for the cause of his son's pain he was pacing back and forth in front of the couch Peter was passed out on. The team was on high alert, never leaving their youngest teammate's side.

Natasha and Rhodey were on their way back from their mission in Japan and would be arriving in the morning. Everyone was eager for their return but feared what Natasha's reaction would be upon seeing her nephew so compromised. Peter meant more to her than life itself.

Bruce, ever the voice of reason, tried to keep everyone calm. The billionaire in particular. "We've been at this for over a day Tony. We need to call Stephen again." Bruce pushed gently.

The billionaire threw his hands up and yelled, "I already called him, five times! Five times Bruce! Wong said he was in some other dimension doing who knows what. I just," his voice dropped back to a normal level, "I don't know what to do."

The scientist put his hand on Tony's shoulder. "I called Thor. He and Valkyrie will be here sometime tomorrow morning. They'll definitely be able to help." He paused before continuing. "I want to move Peter to the medical wing, get him on an IV. So long as you and Steve are okay with that."

"That's fine." He nodded. "Peter needs the nutrients and a decent bed to sleep on. So long as you and the others keep an eye on him."

"Of course Ton-"

They were interrupted when Peter came barreling in. He collided with Tony's sturdy form and began sobbing into the man's shoulder.

"Bud. What's wrong?" Tony asked, very alarmed because Peter rarely cried like this. Only the darkest nightmares that dredged up his worst memories from hydra caused him this much misery. He didn't know where the kid's strength was coming from, because just an hour ago he couldn't even stand up.

Clint rushed in seconds later, shortly followed by his other teammates. They'd been sitting with their nephew, trying to keep him distracted from all the craziness that was going on, when the teen bolted. And Peter was fast.

Peter mumbled something unintelligible before delving back into a frantic sobbing mess. He had a vice-like grip on his dad's arm, keeping himself pressed up against the billionaire. But he kept his wings - which were shaking with how much the boy was trembling - tucked, folded tightly against his back.

Tony looked frantically to Steve who could only shake his head, clearly just as confused as everyone else. Both parents then turned to the archer who only shrugged, worry etched into his face.

"You gotta talk to us kiddo." Tony pressed, running his hand up and down Peter's back and his wing in an attempt to calm him. "Please ju-" he quickly retracted his hand when Peter flinched back, hard.

The teen stumbled back as if he'd been struck. He fell into a submissive stance; curling in on himself with his arms wrapped around his too skinny torso. The small distressed whimpers that continued to leave him pulled at everyone's heartstrings. But only when Peter showed what was in his closed fist, did Tony fully understand what was wrong.

The billionaire almost threw up when he saw the pale, nearly translucent feathers in the teen's small hand. There weren't many, maybe four or five, but the amount didn't matter. It was the significance of losing the feathers to begin with.

When Peter was held captive with hydra, one of the punishments he would receive if he disobeyed was, what Peter called, feather extractions. He was beaten, starved and tortured, but getting his feathers plucked was by far the most painful. Especially since the feathers themselves were fragile and delicate to begin with.

It took a good four months for Peter's wings to fully heal so they were no longer tender to the touch and he could fly without experiencing any pain. Another two months passed before he felt comfortable enough to open up and regale his horrific past.

Hearing his son talk about the horrors of hydra made Tony's insides twist into knots. Which is exactly how he felt now.

"They we-were just starting to-to get color." Peter said sullenly, his eyes tailing the feathers longingly as they floated to the floor. He looked up at his father's wings and couldn't help but feel self conscious; and a little jealous.

Tony's wings were so beautiful. They were like two sides of a coin. The underside was an iridescent black that fading to violet along the tips of his primaries. But the backs of his wings were a deep crimson that faded to maroon which melted into violet towards the tips of his feathers.

"I know this is upsetting but I promise they'll grow ba- woah!" Tony startled when Peter's legs gave out and he gripped the teen even tighter. Gently, he lowered the skinny body to the floor. His alarm grew as Peter's shallow breathing began to slow. "Hey! Hey... look at me bud." Tony's rough, calloused hands cupped Peter's chin.

"Like y-yours." Peter murmured, his eyelids drooping to half mast. "Why can't they be like yours?"

Steve knelt down next to his husband and son - who was quickly losing consciousness - and tried to calm them both down while forcing back tears. "He's malnourished Tony." He looked into his husband's glistening eyes. "His body's shutting down to conserve energy, he's not in immediate danger." He brushed his hand across Peter's curly bangs. "We're gonna fix this… okay. We'll keep you safe. I promise."

Peter managed to nod once before succumbing to the darkness of sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The mission had gone smoothly - despite the routine assignment running longer than they'd expected. There were no casualties and Fury was incredibly pleased with the amount of intel collected on the illegal trade of alien weapons. But now they were headed back home.

"You glad to be goin' home?" Rhodey asked from the copilot seat. "I know I am."

"That reconnaissance mission took way too long." Natasha ground out, her glare set upon the city below them. She checked the quinjets GPS before continuing. "But yes, it's a relief to finally be heading home."

"Oh, don't be so negative Nat." The colonel jokingly chastised. "Japan was beautiful. And we got to stay at a hotel! That never happens when we're on missions."

She chuckled half heartedly. "That is true."

He shot the spy a reassuring smile. It was no secret how much she adored Peter. Having a past with hydra herself, Natasha had been pivotal to Peter's recovery. And they had grown very close; an outsider who saw them interact would think they were mother and son.

"Don't worry Nat, you'll see your baby spider in no time."

A smile grew on her lips. "мой ребенок паук." (My baby spider.)

Bruce hummed quietly to himself as he checked Peter's vitals and replaced the fifth rally pack before reconnecting the new one back into the IV. The doctor wasn't one to make a lot of noise; even ones as quiet and steady as humming. But his nerves were shot and it was all he could do to keep his mind busy so he wouldn't hulk out. Seeing his nephew - sick and unconscious - laid out on a hospital bed hurt like nothing else.

He glanced down at Tony - who was passed out in a chair beside the bed - his head resting on both his arms with one wing draped over his son's body. Steve was sitting beside him, snoring lightly with his head on the mechanic's shoulder.

"Thor and Valkyrie have just arrived." Friday's voice cut through the steady beeping of the heart monitor. She spoke at a softer volume because of the sleeping heroes and Bruce internally thanked her intuitiveness. Neither Steve nor Tony had gotten any sleep the previous night. "They are in the waiting room down the hall."

"Thank you Friday." Bruce said. He exited the room and walked down the short stretch of hallway - which was a calming grey color with light blue accents, instead of the typical white most hospitals or medical facilities were.

"Banner! It is good to see you, my friend." Thor pulled the scientist into a tight hug, nearly lifting him off the ground. "Though I wish it were under better circumstances."

It had been a little over four months since Thor or any other asgardian had come to visit. When Bruce had called - using a cellphone Tony had made specifically for long distances and that reached the new Asgard easily - Thor had been ecstatic. But his joy quickly deflated when the entire situation had been explained.

Peter in particular loved when the gods paid them a visit. He was fascinated by the Norse culture and really enjoyed sparring with his uncle Thor because the god was the only other person who was physically stronger than him which really helped the teen test and control his strength.

Both Thor and Valkyrie were equally upset by the arachnid's absence. The muscular female warrior stepped forward, eager to find the remaining creatures that were causing the trouble. She gripped the hilt of her sword and said, "where's this creature? I'd like to know what we're dealing with here."

"That's just it," Sam interjected, "we don't know what we're dealing with."

"Other aliens and monsters that we've seen and examined are at least somewhat like the animals we have on earth." Bruce explained as he began leading the way to the quarantined area they'd set up farther down the hall. "Obviously there are alien beings that are completely bizarre to us; but most of them, to some extent have homologous structures. In other words, they have a brain, a spine, something akin to lungs, a nervous system and go through the same bodily functions we do." He sighed. "This thing doesn't have a stomach or a heart. And neither Tony nor I could find any internal organs that functioned as a substitute. It's blood is green and appears to be sulfur based, if the awful smell is anything to go by."

He opened the door and froze when he saw the deep crimson cloak that he'd notice anywhere. "Stephen?"

Stephen turned away from the corpse in the center of the room, a book open in one hand. The cloak flew over and landed on the tall man's shoulders. "I'm sorry for my delay. I would have come the moment you called but I was dealing with some other business." His voice was solemn, lacking the usual snark and he refused to meet anyone's gaze. The subtle changes in the usually confident - and sometimes arrogant - Doctor's personality gave away how sincere he was being.

Though he would never admit it, the Sorcerer Supreme cared for Peter and never wanted to see him hurting.

Bruce nodded in understanding. "It's fine Stephen." He shot a glare towards Bucky and Clint who clearly wanted to argue about the sorcerer's tardiness. "You're here now, and that's what matters. "Right guys?"

He received multiple eye rolls and a drawn out sigh from Bucky but no verbal complaints. "So," he turned his attention to the doctor, "can you enlighten us in regards to our friend over here." He walked over to the table where the body rested.

Stephen nodded and with a quick hand motion the book he'd been holding disappeared. "Within the three sanctums, there are countless volumes of textbooks detailing the multiverse as well as many alternate universes and dimensions it encompasses. Not to mention the trillions of organisms you might find." He spoke as he examined the body. "The Ancient One, in particular, helped discover some of its secrets." Using a scalpel, he removed some skin and inspected it under a nearby microscope.

"Is any of that gonna help us?" Valkyrie asked, becoming slightly impatient. She wasn't too fond of textbooks and science rather than going straight for the punch. Both Clint and Bucky were quick to agree.

Stephen nodded. "This creature is documented." He shot a pointed look towards the archer and assassin. "Most American cultures have dubbed it the Hodag monster or, in Japan, a close relative of the Tao Tei. I prefer the term parasitus, which is Latin for parasite." He stepped away from the microscope and began pointing to certain parts of the creature.

"The parasitus is an incredibly odd creature that seems to defy most medical facts. Their eyes," using tissue forceps he gestured to the decaying eye sockets, "aren't actually for seeing. They're our equivalent of a heart. Which is why shooting it's eyes killed it." He poked the grey and pink organs that were exposed. "They don't have stomachs either."

"That's what confused us the most." Bruce exclaimed, following where Stephen was pointing.

Clint hesitantly approached the corpse. He knew it was dead, but it still creeped him out. "How the hell does it eat then? Like, where does it go?"

"It's difficult to explain." Stephen shrugged. "There are some books back at the sanctum that explain things articulately but... that won't help us with our current situation."

"How 'bout you explain it then." Bucky snapped. He glared at the doctor from his spot beside the door with the rest of the team.

"Some," he sighed, "beings, that are inter-dimensional or, in the parasitus' case, are simply a rare anomaly of nature, don't eat normally."

Valkyrie arched her eyebrows. "I've been to hundreds of planets and I've never heard of a creature that doesn't eat normally. My buddy Cold even had biscuits and gravy once. And he's an oddball."

"Like I said, the parasitus is an anomaly that most would think couldn't exist. These creatures live in another dimension that plays by a whole different set of rules. One of my colleagues has gone there. It's so desolate and such a hostile environment that the parasitus evolved to feed off of emotions and energy rather than traditional nutrients."

"Woah, hold up." Sam held up the timeout signal. "You're saying these things," he gestured widely to the creature in front of them, "these things feed of emotions? And drain what… a person's life force."

Stephen nodded. "Essentially, yes. Hence the name parasite."

"That's why Peter's so weak." Bruce ran a shaky hand through his hair. "This actually makes sense now. Th-these parasitus… they're between dimensions so they can't consume actual nutrients so... they've been feeding off of Pete."

"Holy shit." Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't… This is just- fucking insane."

The rest of the heroes nodded in agreement. Even Thor and Valkyrie - who were very knowledgeable about the multiverse and had seen thousands of aliens - found this new information surprising.

"And there's still more of them here, in the tower?" Thor asked Bruce.

"Yeah, at least six according to Peter."

Stephen poked two, grape sized organs that had been removed and were sitting in a tray on the counter. "They have two tiny brains. One is for maintaining it's body's proper functions, while the second is for keeping in touch with the alpha."

"You're saying there's a queen?" Clint mused. "Like with bees."

He nodded. "Just like bees. The alpha, be it male or female, is in charge of a pack of these." He poked the corpse again in emphasis. "These worker parasitus can't think for themselves. It's the alpha that gives them commands."

"What the fuck is going on?"

Everyone spun around - fear piercing their hearts - to see a very angry Natasha. Rhodey - though not as intimidating - looked equally pissed. "Well," she stalked forward, like a lioness cornering her prey.

"There's interdimensional aliens hiding in the tower and they're queen is trying to get Peter."

"You couldn't have been a little more gentle?" Sam slapped the archer's shoulder in frustration.

"No bro!" Clint looked at him incredulously. "You always do what Natasha says. Especially when she's this angry. She's rarely ever this mad an-" he turned back towards his fellow spy only to find an empty doorway. "Shit."

Thor looked up at the ceiling and asked, "Miss AI, where is Natasha?"

"Miss Romanov and Colonel Rhodes are going to see Peter." The AI responded promptly. "I've given them the room number."

Steve was poised at the foot of the bed as a silent sentry. His husband hadn't moved and was sitting in the same position, gaze locked on the small form before him; the Colonel's arm draped across his hunched shoulders.

Natasha sat on the edge of the bed, one hand carding through fluffy brown curls and the other gently holding her nephew's pale limp one. "мой ребенок паук." (My baby spider.) She continued to stroke Peter's head as she mumbled quiet Russian phrases. Her eyes were glassy and her voice wavered; but she refused to let any tears fall. No one said a word, giving the spy time to process what she was seeing.

The spy looked up with glistening eyes. "What's going on?" So they told her. Thoroughly, in as much detail as possible. When they - mostly Bruce - finished explaining, the spy nodded. "So what are we going to do?"

Tony shook his head sadly. "There's not much we can do. At least… not until Peter wakes up."

And, as if on cue, Peter squeezed the hand holding his and his eyelids fluttered open.

"Peter!" Tony exclaimed excitedly, relief evident in his voice. "Hey baby boy." He said when Peter turned to face him.

"Hey dad," he looked from the billionaire to the captain, "hey pops." His throat felt dry and his voice came out scratchy and rough; his entire body ached. After a moment of thought he remembered why he felt this way and what that meant.

A slight tug on his right hand drew him back to reality. He gasped, "мамочка!" (Momma.) "You're home."

The boy's sweet smile instantly raised the woman's spirits. "Привет мой паук." (Hi my baby spider.) She lightly tugged his curls, quickly blinking her tears away. She didn't want Peter to worry. "It's so good to see you sweetheart."

He blushed slightly. "It's good to see you too." With the help of his dad he managed to struggle into a seated position so he could hug his aunt. "I missed you a lot." He mumbled into her fiery red hair.

"Pete," Tony spoke up once the two spider themed heroes pulled back, their hands still interlocked, "Strange is here. He's gonna help us, 'kay."

Strange took that as he cue to step forward. He smiled down at the teen. "It's nice to see you again spider-man." He smirked at the teen's playful eye roll. "Though I wish it were under better circumstances. If you're up for it, I'd like to ask you some questions."

"You too Mr. Strange." A small smile hung on Peter's lips before letting it fall away. "So, what do you want to know?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Hydra used me... as a weapon." Peter began hesitantly. "They controlled me with a series of trigger words," he glanced at his uncle, only continuing when he gave him a reassuring smile that said, go on, it's okay , "like-like they did with uncle Bucky. And when I wasn't on missions or training… They either locked me in my cell or forced me to help their scientists. Usually building weapons."

The team stood guard in a semicircle around the bed, quietly listening to the vigilante's story. No one took their gaze off the teen but kept a wary eye on the pale grey walls.

Tony's grip on his husband's hand tightened when Peter said my cell . Not just any random cell; Peter had gotten so used to being thrown into a literal prison that he began to see it as his. Those nazi fucks kept his son, his baby, locked away in some cell and had ingrained in him that he'd deserved nothing less than to be treated as a feral beast.

Steve echoed his husband's feelings, biting his lower lip to keep from screaming.

"One day, the head scientist, Dr. Dyatolv," he spat the name out as if it were poison, "he gave me these blueprints. I refused to comply… at first. Eventually, upon realizing I could sabotage whatever they were doing, I built the machine."

"This machine, what was hydras purpose for building it?" Strange asked.

"They wanted to access other dimensions. Why, I don't really know." Peter thought for a minute. "Maybe they were searching for resources." He shrugged. "Either way, those things came out of the portal immediately. It was like they were waiting."

Bucky tensed, he moved his hands behind his back so no one could see his fisted hands. The only person to pick up on the ex-assassin's discomfort was Steve, who could discern his friend's emotions and behaviors anytime. He rested on firm hand on his friend's flesh arm, playing off the comfort as casually as possible.

"By the time the machine had self-destructed there were nearly ten of those… of those…"

"Parasitus." Strange offered. "That's what my fellow sorcerers and I call them."

"Huh," Peter looked down at his hands, subconsciously tapping his fingers on the blanket, "Parasite. That makes sense." He flashed the doctor a weak smile which was eagerly returned. The cloak of levitation floated over and rested itself across the teen's lap in an attempt to comfort Peter - it did.

"Okay, so there were ten Parasites in the main room off of the experiment site. The room was built of cement and steel in case of explosions or any other mishaps. Dozens of soldiers were immediately sent in." His small body shuddered causing Natasha's and Tony's grips to tighten on him. "It didn't take long for the Parasites to kill them all."

Tony brushed his fingers through his son's curls, offering physical affection as a form of comfort. "You don't have to continue Pete."

"I do though." Peter's gaze landed on Tony. There was so much emotion and hurt settled in those hazel orbs. His eyes took on a glassy haze as he retold his past horrors. "I was sent in then; to fight. Even though I was unfamiliar with those Parasites it didn't take me long to figure out how to kill them. Using knives I killed two. But the big one-"

Strange visibly perked up at the mention of a big one. Everyone else tensed when Peter pulled the collar of his too-big shirt down. Long dark scars marred his sickly pale skin. They ran diagonally from his left collar bone to his right side just below his ribs. There were other ones too; other scars. Whether they were from torture, missions or brutal hydra training they didn't know.

"The big one was a deep green color, with horns and a thin whip like tail. And it had a normal mouth; you know, with a jaw. It's mouth didn't open up like a flower. Not like the others."

"That was the queen." Strange informed. "She controls the others. Via vibrations that emanate from her horns."

"Makes sense." The teen pursed his lips, thinking back on the creature's appearance and how they interacted with each other. "The two I managed to kill seemed like they were protecting her. It was pure luck I was even able to get a hit on her." He tapped his temple beside his left eye. "I put a knife through her eye… and in turn she did this." He gestured to his scars. "They disappeared after that. Melted right into the walls. I was relocated not a day later."

"You- you said these things… these parasitus followed you." Tony mumbled. "Why?"

"Because," Strange looked at the billionaire, "he injured the queen and killed two of her workers. Subsequently, pissing her off." He sighed heavily. "She has your sent Peter, that's how they managed to track you. It took a while but…"

"They still found me nonetheless." Peter sighed, his exhaustion evident. "Sorry- I'm sorry I brought them here."

"Hey now, that is not your fault." Steve clarified. "Nothing pertaining to your past with hydra is your fault." He curled a finger under Peter's chin and gently pushed upwards so Peter would look at him. "None of us blame you. Okay?"

It was obvious that Peter didn't believe him, but he didn't bother arguing further. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

"Is there a way you can stop them from phasing in and out of their dimension?" Peter asked the doctor. "If we can keep them in our dimension then they won't be able to get away. We can kill them."

All eyes went to the Sorcerer supreme who stood and straightened his robes. "I can; no problem. The trick is going to be luring them all into one room."

"I can do that." Peter chirped easily.

A loud chorus of no, hell no, no way and over my dead body rang out simultaneously. None of the other avengers - who were not just a team, but a family - wanted Peter to go through any more pain than he'd already been through.

"We cannot allow you to endanger yourself." Thor stated, his grip subconsciously tightening on mjolnir. "As your uncle, I can not allow you to-"

Tony jolted upright and cut Thor off. "We are not using you as bait!" He loved Peter dearly but the kid's hero complex was a huge stressor. "I'm your father, biologically speaking," he glared at the teen, "and I-we," he waved his hand towards Steve, "are not going to let you get yourself killed!"

"I'm with your parents and uncle Thor on this." Natasha squeezed her nephew's frail hand. "I think the rest of the family would agree." Another chorus of yes, and no shit followed.

"As much as I don't like it," Strange cut in, voice hard and solemn. "I'm going to have to side with the spiderling on this." He held up his hands for silence when the other heroes erupted into angry shouts and explicatives. "Peter is the target here. The queen wants him and it would be stupid not to use that to our advantage."

"Peter is a boy, not a piece of meat!" Clint glared.

"I know… I know. This isn't what I want either." Strange sighed heavily. "But I promise you," he looked to everyone in the room and let his gaze linger on the teen, "I promise to keep you safe."

"It won't work if I'm not there." Peter agreed. "I can draw the queen out. She won't risk herself or her workers if she knows she's not gonna get anything worthwhile. She doesn't have a history with any of you." He looked at his teammates before sparing a glance at his dad. "We have a score to settle. Nothing is going to change that."

No one said anything. They didn't know what to say.

On one hand, giving Peter up as bait was an absolutely atrocious thought. Yet the teen made a good point in regards to making sure the trap actually worked. The queen was clearly intelligent and definitely held a grudge. And her anger revolved completely around Peter. But when it came down to it, it was ultimately Steve and Tony who would decide if Peter should be allowed to put himself in danger.

"If you really feel that you need to do this, then I'll support you." Steve said, to everyone's surprise. The captain loved nothing more than his husband and son. But the man was also tactile and experienced in war.

"What!" Tony stalked over to his husband so they were standing nose to nose. His wings bristled, giving him a more intimidating appearance. "I did not hear you say that just now!"

Steve held his hands up in surrender and backed away from the bed slightly. "I'm just saying that he cou-"

"You're talking bullshit that's what." His voice steadily rose until he was yelling. "How could you even entertain the idea of intentionally putting our son in danger? How? You're supposed to be the one with common sense!"

"I am not okay with this Tony!" Steve yelled right back. "Putting our son in danger is the last thing I want to do! I-" He cut himself off when he realized how loud he was being. "I trust Peter, and I trust our team." He took his husband's hands in his larger ones. "And I know you do too."

"We'll be there every step of the way, Tony." Came Natasha's soft reassurance, her hand resting in between the billionaire's shoulder blades. "Besides, Peter's basically a mini ninja." She smiled. "When push comes to shove, he can definitely handle himself."

Tony's glare deepened and he opened his mouth, presumably to argue, but snapped it shut at the last minute. His shoulders sagged marginally before slumping completely.

"You- are you sure about this?" The billionaire sat on the edge of the bed and rested his hand on Peter's knobby knees.

"Yes dad." Peter responded, somewhat exasperatedly. "I started this… so it's only right I help finish it."

With a heavy sigh Tony caved. "Okay. Let's do this."

The plan was simple. Peter would draw out the parasitus and once they had all emerged Strange would cast a sealant spell over the tower to make sure the creatures couldn't phase back into their dimension. Then, the rest of the team would attack.

Thor and Valkyrie cleared out the largest conference room while Clint and Bucky gathered more weapons.

Peter couldn't help but smile when his uncles returned with their arms full of guns, knives and other high tech weapons. He couldn't say they weren't prepared.

"Бэби паук." (Baby spider.) Natasha approached her nephew right before the plan was set to begin. She knelt down where Peter was sitting and held out her hand. "I have something for you."

"Oh my gosh." Peter carefully took the deadly object. The push dagger was black in color and was approximately seven inches long. It was an easily concealable weapon the spy always carried with her. "But this one's your favorite. Isn't it?"

"All the more reason you should have it." She smiled lovingly at the boy she considered her son. "This was the very first weapon I ever used." She ran her fingers down the handle, feeling the grooves and imperfections. "While there's good and bad memories tied to this… it served me well. Now it is yours."

"I- I don't know what to say." He looked up at his aunt gratefully, his eyes shining with love and adoration. "Thank you."

Natasha blinked the tears away and embraced the teen. "I love you Бэби." (Baby.) "We'll all be just outside the door." She nodded towards the glass wall that divided the hall and the conference room.

"Ya ready Pete?" Tony asked as he helped the teen stand on shaky legs. The mechanic's heart was thudding heavily in his chest. He had to fight to keep his voice level and stop his hands from shaking.

"Yeah dad." Tony let Peter lean most of his weight on him - which Peter was grateful for - as they walked into the cleared out conference room. The room was very spacious; and without the table and chairs there was plenty of room to fight while still being able to contain the aliens.

When Tony didn't let go of Peter's hand he cleared his throat and said, "dad, everything's gonna be fine."

He pulled the smaller boy against his chest and placed a kiss on Peter's forehead. "Your pops and I are gonna be right outside that door, okay. Nothing is gonna happen to you. We'll take out these bastards and-"

"Dad," he pulled away and gave his dad what he hoped was a confident smile, "I know you and the rest of the team will protect me. I've never doubted that."

"I- good." He ruffled his son's curly locks once more before leaving the room and locking the door behind him.

It took longer to grab the queen's attention than Peter thought it would. He was sitting criss cross applesauce for almost two hours before there were any indications the queen was near.

His spider sense tingled; sending a harsh shiver down his spine. Bright red blood dripped from both his nostrils before he could wipe it away and it spattered onto the tiled floor. His enhanced senses picked up on the faint smell of sulfur which was getting stronger by the second. Rising to his feet, he forced himself to stand still as the room began to fill with deep, guttural growls.

Focusing on his family member's heartbeats was the only way he could tune out the chatter of the approaching monsters. He'd been hardened by his life at hydra; the things he'd seen and done. The horrors he faced had scarred him mentally and physically.

But when the menacing form of the queen loomed over him… all of the unwanted memories came flooding back. More blood seeped from his nose and he fell to his knees. He lost consciousness just as a repulsor blast slammed into the queen.

"The spell will hold." Strange shouted over the cacophony of weapons, yelling and screeching. "Aim for the eyes and throat."

"Little hard to do when their mouths open up like that freak alien from The Thing." Clint yelled back. He cursed when yet another arrow caught on the opening mouth instead of the eye, bouncing off the rows of teeth. "These fuckers are so messed up!"

Tony parried another creature's attack as he stepped away from the dead parasite behind him. "Just keep them away from Peter!" He blasted one of the aliens that was about to attack Sam from behind, giving him the opportunity to gauge out its eyes before it could regain its footing.

Both Steve and Bucky were blocking the young vigilante from any oncoming attacks. The creatures' hides were thick and they were fast, being able to run on all fours and walk on their strangely humanoid hind legs.

Thor's lightning would've done wonders, but since they were all in closer quarters he didn't want to risk hitting any of his teammates. So he stuck to just throwing his hammer. Sam was also inhibited; he couldn't fly indoors.

Tony and Strange were the best equipped to deal with these particular aliens. The heat and force of the iron man suits repulsor blasts were strong enough to pierce the alien's skin. Strange could just use his portals to cut off the creatures' arms and legs.

While the avengers were winning, the remaining parasitus were closing in. The elusive queen had her bright yellow eyes locked onto Peter.

"Nat, Buck," Steve turned to his friends, "take Peter away from here."

"On it." Bucky effortlessly scooped his nephew up bridal style and took off; Natasha - gun up and ready - was right on his heels.

The two ex-assassins charged down the empty hallway towards the opposite end of the floor. Their intention was to get Peter as far away as possible until the fight ended.

Not a minute passed before Steve was calling through the coms. "Nat! Nat do you copy?" He sounded frantic, very unlike himself.

She pressed her fingers to the com in her ear. "I copy."

"The queens headed your way! She managed to escape."

"What?" Natasha stopped in her tracks, one hand firmly latched onto Bucky's flesh arm. "I thought the spell would-"

"The spell kept them from phasing between dimensions. She just barreled through the glass. Nothing we did hurt her." Natasha could hear him panting even through the coms. "All the workers are dead. We're headed your way now. Try to find cover."

Natasha relayed the information to Bucky who cursed under his breath in Russian. They both began looking for a suitable place to hunker down. It was unlikely that they would be able to stay hidden. They just hoped their team would reach them in time.

Thundering footsteps shot down any hope of their teammates reaching them first. They had to find a hideout immediately.

"In there," Natasha pointed towards one of the nearby offices. Quickly, and as quietly as possible, the two heroes tucked themselves behind the large wooden desk in the back of the room; the door locked behind them.

Peter was running. He didn't know where he was going but he recognized where he was. He was in the tower on one of the lower conference floors. Everything was dark, bleached of all light and color. It was cold and he could feel a strong wind blowing despite being indoors.

But he easily identified the deep growling and heavy breathing that was steadily gaining on him.

He turned one corner, then another and another until he reached the last office room at the end of the hallway. A dead end. Breathing heavily, his chest constricting and his heart thumping wildly, he turned around.

The queen was standing there, her dark shadowy form towering above his own. Her long, bright white teeth protruded from her jaws. Cracks were forming in the tile where her claws met the ground.

Stealing himself, Peter stood tall. There was an unusual weight in his back jeans pocket. He gasped, pulling out the familiar push dagger and unsheathed it.

"Okay you bitch." Peter growled. "Let's get this over with." With a battle cry that would have rivaled Thor's, he charged the queen.

When Peter jolted awake, he realized that the room he was currently laying in was painfully similar to the one in his dream. Ignoring the dizziness that hit him he jumped to his feet when he heard a pained cry. "Tasha!"

Natasha was standing in front of an unconscious Bucky, dagger in hand. Blood was dripping down her left temple and from the claw marks on her shoulder. She was panting heavily and appeared to be favoring her left leg. The queen - in all her menacing glory - was peering down at her.

"Hey!" Peter called without a second thought. "I'm over here."

The queen's gaze went right to Peter. And despite the terrifying situation, he was glad his aunt and uncle were no longer in danger - at least not directly.

Any interest the queen had in the older heroes fell to the wayside as she charged the teen. The queens talons were curved like an eagles, so they scratched and pulled up pieces of flooring as she moved. Her teeth were barred and an ear shattering roar left her throat.

Peter jumped out of the way at the last minute, forcing the queen to collide with the wall. He jumped up onto the ceiling and pulled the push dagger from his pocket. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Natasha dragging Bucky away from the fight. "Stay back." He warned when his aunt started running back towards him.

"I can't let you-" she was cut off by another roar.

The queen pulled herself out of the plaster and wood, chips of paint and plaster dust coated her scales. Peter was about to make a joke about the queen's appearance but stopped when a cold shiver ran down his spine. Using his spider sense, he was able to dodge and evade the oncoming threats. He just needed to last long enough for his family or some of the iron legion to show up.

But his strength was depleting fast due to malnutrition and lack of sleep. His fears were confirmed when the queen's tail slammed into his side, knocking him to the floor.

A large, clawed foot pressed itself down on Peter's chest. He cried out when the claws pierced his skin. Hot, smelly breath hit his neck and face as the queen examined him. Her face was mere inches from his own and he couldn't help the pained groan that escaped him when her claws dug deeper.

She reared her head back, mouth open widen as she went for the final blow. But it never came. Instead, the crushing weight was removed from Peter's chest as the queen stumbled back. Blast after blast slamming into her from the ten iron man suits lined up at the front of the room. Tony in the middle while the rest of the team stood back, waiting to grab Peter once it was clear.

The queen lay motionless, green sulfuric blood oozing from her many wounds. Tony didn't wait a second before striding into the room, his mind set on one thing and one thing only. Getting his son.

"I've got ya kiddo." He mumbled quietly after lifting his face plate. Kneeling down he hurriedly placed his hand over the oozing wounds on his son's thin chest. "Don't worry bud we-"

"Watch out!" Steve's screamed, just as a hulking clawed hand swung at the two Starks.

Using the last of his strength, Peter shoved his dad to the floor, darted forward and dodged the queens strike. With one last cry of anger and pain, he drove the push dagger straight into the queens remaining eye. He twisted the blade harshly before ripping it back out and collapsing.

The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was his parents concerned faces.

"I've cast a sealant spell on the tower to ensure that all tears in our dimension are closed." Strange said as he approached the two husbands. "Nothing from another universe, planet or dimension will be bothering you anytime soon."

"Thank you Stephen." Steve gripped the sorcerer's hand in a firm handshake. "Truly, we can't thank you enough."

"No need to thank me." He shrugged off the praise with a slight smile. "It's my job to protect this planet; much like all other versions of myself throughout the multiverse."

The billionaire crossed his arms. "Still, job or not, we appreciate your help."

Strange grinned. "I was happy to help. Now, I must be going."

"Take care Stephen." Steve waved politely. He and Tony were beyond relieved that - despite some minor injuries or easily mendable wounds - his entire team was alright.

"Stop by any time." Tony smirked. "Don't be a stranger. Ha! Ya get it?"

"Very funny Stark." He rolled his eyes and stepped through the portal he'd just created. "Should've become a comedian."

Steve bumped his husband's shoulder once the sorcerer vanished on the other side of the portal. "You are such a smart ass."

"Gasp!" With his usual dramatic flare, Tony pretended to be offended by the friendly jab. "How could my dear early husband say such a thing to his own husband? I'm shocked, I'm hurt, I'm-"

"Proving my point." Steve smirked cheekily. He wrapped his arm around his husband's waist and began leading him towards the medical wing. "Peter's back on an IV, Buck has a grade three concussion and Natasha needed a dozen stitches. None of them are happy about being confined to medical for a week. They're awake and causing havoc for Dr. Cho."

Tony laughed. "Did you expect anything else?"

"No," Steve shook his head, a genuine smile on his lips, "no I did not."


	8. Chapter 8

"Boss, Peter has just returned from patrol. He is in the penthouse living room." Friday announces at midnight.

"Okay," Tony stood in front of the full length mirror in his walk-in closet, "tell 'im I'll be right out. And remind him to change into his stealth suit

"Yes Boss."

The billionaire pulled on a black long sleeved shirt to match his black sneakers and dark jeans. "You don't gotta wait up." He smiled at his husband - who had an equally large grin plastered on his face.

"I know honey. You tell me this every time you two go out; and every time I-"

"Wait up anyway." Tony smirked. "We've been doin' this for months now and you still worry." He kissed Steve passionately, only pulling apart to get air.

The blond chuckled and Tony felt the vibration from within the man's broad chest. "Of course I worry. You and Peter are my everything." He pressed his forehead against his husband's. "But I know you're both very capable."

"Boss," the AI interrupted, her tone light and humorous, "Peter is requesting that you stop taking so long. As it will be daylight before we even get started."

Both men huffed out a laugh. It felt good to be in such high spirits; the events of last August finally behind them. No one was in danger, everything was as it should be, and most importantly, their son was safe and healthy.

"Okay. We'll be back around two." Tony called over his shoulder as he exited their shared bedroom. His wings tucked against his back.

Steve crossed his arms, leaning up against the doorframe. He watched his husband go with a fond smile. Every Friday Peter would return early from patrol and the father and son duo would go out flying. They'd often stay out until daybreak. Soaring and gliding over the city.

"Hey dad! You ready?" Peter greeted his dad eagerly. He had exchanged his usual red and blue suit for his all black stealth suit. It was perfect for flying at night.

The billionaire smirked playfully at the teen. "Of course I'm ready." He took a minute and just looked at his son. After lots of food and plenty of rest the teen had regained his strength and energy. And not long after his wings began to heal - much to the teen's delight.

Peter's wings resembled Tony's in size and shape but differed slightly in color. Like Tony's, the underside of Peter's wings were iridescent black which faded to violet at his primaries. But unlike Tony's, the top of Peter's wings were a dark grey near his shoulders, fading to a steel blue in the middle then back to violet at the tips.

"Dad?" Peter gave the man a quizzical look from his spot beside the open window - curtesy of Friday. "You comin'?"

"Yeah bud." He walked up beside the other hero - his baby boy - and ruffled his hair. "Let's go flying."

With a shared smile, the two jumped out of the 93 story building, spread their wings and took off into the sky.


End file.
